


A Pretty Bold Conundrum

by allmadeofstardust



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, No. 2 - in the hands of the enemy, Pick who dies, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmadeofstardust/pseuds/allmadeofstardust
Summary: Chaos gives Fitzroy what he always wanted - power.  But it comes with a choice.
Relationships: Argo Keene & Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, Chaos & Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, Master Firbolg & Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	A Pretty Bold Conundrum

**Author's Note:**

> *shows up two days late with Starbucks* whaddup y'all, I heard there's a Whumptober going on! this one's kinda short, but I wanted to make my mark on this lovely collection.

"I'm sorry," Chaos said, sounding genuinely concerned. "I thought this is what you wanted?"

They were standing over Fitzroy, and even after growing taller Chaos still insisted on looking down at him. Fitzroy supposed it made sense, ethereal being and all.

He laughed nervously.

"Well, Chaos, I've got to say, this one's, uh, a pretty bold conundrum!"

Chaos inclined their head to one side.

"'Conundrum'?" they repeated. "I would certainly hope not. Haven't you ever dreamed of this? To have full power over those around you?"

"Yes! I mean, yes, I  _ did _ , but -"

"So that is what I am giving you.  _ Power _ . And between you and me, Fitzroy, I believe this has been a long time coming, don't you think?"

Fitzroy chewed his lip, trying to get the words right.

"Chaos," he began, trying to sound flippant. Like what was before him wasn't chilling him to the bone. "I would hope that if you gave me power, you would also give me permission to use it the way I see fit, would you not?"

Chaos sighed, sounding disappointed.

"I suppose."

"So, it stands to reason that, if I were to take this power, I could simply...let them go?"

He couldn't look at them. Not yet, anyway. He'd see them when they were free.

"Perhaps," Chaos answered. "But one may argue that in order to handle true power, one must  _ act _ ."

They waved their hand, almost playfully, and Argo let out a painful grunt. The scope of the room came crashing back into reality, and now Fitzroy  _ had _ to look. His friends, bound, gagged, helpless eyes pleading with him as he fucked around and did absolutely nothing to help them, except play right into Chaos' games.

"I gave you what you wanted," Fitzroy growled, turning back to Chaos, unwilling to take another look at the room. "I gave you a vessel. I gave you full reign over this handsome body."

"And we did wonderful things together, didn't we Fitzroy?" Chaos smiled, their teeth as opal as the rest of their body, merging grotesquely into their form. "So now, all I ask is for you to finish the job."

They leaned in closer, placing an incorporeal hand on his shoulder. He could swear he felt lightning shoot into his veins at their touch.

"I'm giving you an opportunity here, Fitzroy," Chaos said, slowly and succinctly. "Think about it: what better way to show your true power than a choice? You hold their lives in your hands. It is your decision, and yours alone, that dictates who will live."

Fitzroy felt himself be turned towards the room again. The electric sensation in his shoulder turned painful the moment he tried to fight it, so he let Chaos go. Saved his strength.

As if he could fight this creature. God? Demon?

He supposed it didn't matter.

"Well, Fitzroy?" Chaos whispered into his ear.

Argo was shaking his head vehemently. The firbolg - gods, he really didn't know his name, did he? Here he was, a Chaos-shaped knife to his throat, and Fitzroy realized he didn't know enough about him. Nor Argo.

Wow, he truly was a failure of a friend. A failure of a leader.

"Choose, Fitzroy."

"I'm working on it," he snapped back, grinding his teeth.

He closed his eyes. Whatever happened, he didn't want to see it.

He felt his hand curl into a fist. He wasn't doing that. Chaos was getting impatient.

He pondered the situation. How he had gotten here. Wondered if it were possible to take it all away, or if this truly was it. That one of his friends was going to die, and it would be his fault. For stumbling into the wrong cave, for waking up to -

_ Waking up. _

His eyes shot open and he looked around. This room, it was so... nondescript. Like someone had deliberately made it so that he wouldn't pay attention to it. And it had worked, he hadn't.

"Chaos," Fitzroy said, trying to lower his hand. It wouldn't budge, and that gave him all the more reason to say what he was about to say.

"I abdicate my power."

Chaos' face didn't change - that was the eerie part of it. A simple tilt of the head. That was it.

Not even a frown.

The firbolg's body immolated from within. The sound he gave was inhuman, and Fitzroy cried out but found he had no words. He watched in horror as Chaos snapped their fingers, and Argo went too, this time with audibly more pain. Fitzroy tried to whirl on Chaos, desperate to get them to stop, but by the time he could even move from where he was, horror-stricken, rooted to the spot, his friends were gone, ashes and smoke the only remnants of what were once living people, beautiful precious friends, and Fitzroy had thrown it all away because he thought he could outsmart a  _ god _ .

"I have to hand it to you," he heard Chaos say, as Fitzroy's legs gave out and he fell to his knees. "You are smarter than you look."

A jolt of lightning slammed through Fitzroy's heart, erupting him in agony.

"I'll have to use that to my advantage one day."

It was all he heard as his vision went white.

Fitzroy woke up gasping. There were hands on him, but they weren't cold and cruel. They were nurturing. Soft.

"Hey, hey, easy there, boyo."

A broguish accent.

"Fitzroy. Are you...okay?"

Long words, deep voice.

Fitzroy blinked. He was staring up at his friends, safe, sound, unharmed. By him, or anyone else.

He didn't know what to do. He tried to compose himself, tried to avoid breaking down.

"I'm alright, really!" he lied. He tried to stand, only to realize his legs were absolute jelly, so he stopped and tried to make himself presentable.

"No offense, buddy," Argo said with a short laugh. "You look like absolute shit."

Fitzroy looked at him, then, actually  _ looked _ at him. The firbolg too.

"If I, uh…" He cleared his throat. "If I ever, y'know,  _ hypothetically _ speaking, were to get into a position, again,  _ hypothetically _ , where I had to…" He gulped. " _ Hurt _ . One of you."

He looked between them as they stared down with concern. Genuine concern. Not the falsehood that Chaos spat.

"Would you, uh...would you trust me to make the right decision?"

There was a small pause.

"Well, sure!"

"Of course."

Fitzroy sighed.

"Trust is good for a successful business!" the firbolg shouted.

Fitzroy tried to choke down his tears with a small chuckle.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm all-made-of-stardust on Tumblr!


End file.
